Thoughts on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the time of the year we pause and reflect on all of our many blessings. We relax, spend quality time with family and friends and bask in the glow of all of the many things in our lives for which we are thankful. Wait. That’s not describing how you feel during this time of year? Well, join the crowd! Somewhere along the line Thanksgiving has been almost completely blurred out with constant reminders of how many Saturdays we have between now and Christmas and the frenzied appeals for the very best Black Friday deals! Resist the urge to get caught up in the mania!

Thanksgiving really can be the best motivator for taking time to take stock of our many blessings. It is also a perfect time to pause and consider whether all of the items in are home are things we truly cherish and use on a regular basis. Instead of setting out to stock up and save on of all of those holiday sales, we can take time to share with others. I like to encourage my clients to “shop and share” by giving away something before bringing something new into their homes. This is the best time of year to donate items that are simply clogging up space that someone else may actually treasure and use.

Be very alert and careful not to get sucked in by clever marketing schemes that will end up as clutter. You may find the best use of your time on Black Friday is to stay at home and take stock of what you are simply storing that you could share. Your home will be thankful to feel a little less crowded and stressed, and if walls could talk, you might be able to hear them stretch and breathe a sigh of relief!